Impact of personality traits on educational processes: a psychologi-cal approach from the five-factor model

Abstract

This essay aims to analyze the influence of the Big Five personality traits on recurrent issues in the educational field, as well as to propose alternatives that strengthen both aca-demic performance and students’ socio-emotional development. Based on a review of scientific literature and official documents, the study identified highly relevant situations such as bullying, low academic confidence, lack of interest in school subjects, and diffi-culties in teamwork. Each of these problems was linked to specific personality traits, which allowed establishing a dialogue between psychology and education in both the Cos-ta Rican and international context. The discussion focused on showing how traits such as agreeableness, conscientiousness, openness to experience, extraversion, and neuroticism can become either risk or protective factors in learning processes and school coexistence. In addition, recent empirical findings supporting these relationships were presented, high-lighting the need to consider them in educational practice. The conclusions emphasize the importance of incorporating personality psychology into teacher training programs, the potential of magnet schools to motivate students with diverse interests, the relevance of promoting initiatives that strengthen parent–child communication, and the inclusion of “life skills” lessons in school curricula. These measures would contribute to a more com-prehensive education, capable of addressing personality diversity while enhancing the quality of educational processes.